Planning a company retreat in Normandy in a private villa: the practical guide
Why a private villa often beats a hotel for a team of 8 to 14, how to build two days that count, and what the concierge service can take off your plate.
Contents
A good retreat comes down to a few things: a place people want to stay in, a programme that leaves room to breathe, and logistics nobody on the team has to carry. Normandy has ticked the first box for a long time. A private villa 1 h 50 from Paris takes care of the other two.
Private villa or hotel: the real difference
In a hotel, the team scatters in the evening across rooms, a bar and a restaurant shared with other guests. In a villa, it stays together: the kitchen, the living room, the terrace and the pool are yours, and the conversations that matter often happen after dinner, not in the meeting room. For 8 to 14 people, the cost is comparable to a four-star hotel, with privacy on top.
A sample two-day programme
- Day 1, 10 am: arrival from Paris (1 h 50 on the A13, or the train to Trouville-Deauville then a 10-minute taxi). Coffee and pastries waiting, bags into the suites.
- 10:30 am – 1 pm: working session in the large living room facing the sea, screen and flip chart set up.
- 1 pm: lunch cooked by a private chef or delivered by a local caterer.
- 2:30 – 5 pm: breakout workshops spread between the lounge, the dining room and the terrace.
- 5 pm: free time: heated pool, sauna, gym or a walk on the coastal path.
- 8 pm: dinner at the long table, then an evening in the lounge.
- Day 2: breakfast of local produce, closing session, departure after lunch, back in Paris by late afternoon.
What the concierge service handles
- Groceries delivered before you arrive, from your list.
- A private chef for one or several meals, or a caterer.
- Breakfasts with produce from the Pays d'Auge.
- Transfers from Trouville-Deauville station or from Paris.
- A facilitator, a sports coach or a wellness practitioner if the programme calls for one.
- Invoicing to the company, with an itemised quote.
Six suites for fourteen people
Every participant gets a real bedroom: six suites with private bathrooms, several with sea views. For a team of six to eight, everyone has their own suite; for a larger team, the twin-bed suites allow sharing without crowding.
Three mistakes to avoid
Filling every hour. The best ideas come out on the beach walk or in the sauna, not in the fourth session of the afternoon. Forgetting connectivity. Check the fibre and the number of sockets before you block the dates; at Holisty, fibre covers the whole house and the main living room was designed with presentations in mind. Letting a colleague carry the logistics. That is precisely what the concierge service is for.
A quote request is all it takes: tell us the number of participants, the dates you have in mind and what you want the team to experience, and we build the rest with you.